Recording device for automobiles



p 1946. E. E. JERIKSSON 2,48,302

RECORDING DEVICE FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed Aug. 1, 1945 INVENTOR. 2 2'2 inZZ'rZis G/v.

BY I

Patented Sept. 24, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE REC R NG DEVI E. FOU OM B ES Erik E. Eriksson, Base Line, Mich.

ApplicationAugust 1, 1945 Serial No. 608,123

3 Claims.

1 This invention relates to a recording device, and" more particularlyto a recording device of the type for use with an automobile where theowner is desirous of determining the number of. miles traveled betweenoiling and greasing pee.

riods.

fin object of the present invention is to provide a new and improveddevice which in turn provides a separate recording of an odometer andmaintaining such a record reading for sub-v sequent comparison with thetotal mileage reading of the odometer. It is the custom. today to havean automobile greased and the oil changed after each one thousand milesof travel. The recorder is set to correspond with whatever the totalmile-.

age reading of the odometer may be at the time; Thereafter, as theodometer registers additional mileage, a comparison may always be had,so that difference between the readings at any given moment will showthe miles traveled since setting the recording device, and when thisdifference is shown to be, in this instance, one thousand miles, theowner knows that it is again time to chang the oil and have the cargreased;

A still further object of the invention is to so place the recordingdevice so that it is at all times adjacent the odometer and to provide alocking means for said recording device to lock the same in a setposition to prevent change of the setting.

The above and other objects will appear more fully from the followingmore detailed description, and from the drawing wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the recording device as it appears n theinstrument panel of an automobile.

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of the device as the same appears tothe driver of a car showing the recording.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the device taken substantially on theline 3-3 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a section taken substantially on the line 44 of Fig. 3.

Referring now to the drawing, the numeral I designates a U-shapedbracket which may be conveniently secured to the instrument panel of anautomobile by means of bolts II. A shaft I2 is suitably andnon-rotatably mounted in bracket I0, the same containing a recessedlongitudinal slot or recess I3, sufficient in depth to receive a lockingbar member I4, said member being substantially T-shaped, the stem of theT I5, acting as a plunger for the purpose of bringing pressure to bearupon a leaf spring I6 which is interposed between locking member I4 andthe bottom of recess I3 for a purpose later to be described, Directlyopposed to recess I3 is an additional shallow recess 25 adapted toreceive a ratchet bar 26 containing five projections 21, the use forwhich will appear more clearly in this description.

Rotatably mounted upon shaft I2 are five wheels I I, each wheel having aportion of its outer periphery knurled I8, so that it may be easilyrotated. The wheels are constructed sufficiently wide to receiveindicia, each wheel containin ten numerals peripherally arrangedthereon. Each wheel has a central opening therethrough of sufficientdiameter to allow the wheel to slide upon shaft I2 and each centralopening has formed on the periphery thereof ten notches I9 each notchbeing radially aligned with a numeral appearing on the outer peripheryof the wheel I I per se. The five wheels I l ar at all times heldagainst rotation by means of a ratchet bar 26 which seats within slot25, said bar having formed therein five projections 21 which are inlongitudinal alignment and adapted to engage aligned notches l9 formedin central opening of wheels I I and prevent the wheels from rotatingfreely on shaft I2.

A housing 20 i provided to enclose the working parts of the recordingdevice, the same being secured to the recording mechanism by means of aset screw 2| which passes through anopening provided therefor in saidhousing into one end of shaft I2. There is also an opening in the frontportion of housing 20 to allow plunger I5 to project therethrough. Theentire work ng or leading edge of locking bar I4 is wedge-shaped 22, asshown best in Fig. 3 of the drawing, so that same may engage notches I9when the device is in a locked position.

The method of using the device is as follows:

In its normal position the device remains in what might be termed itslocked position where it has remained since the previous setting by thecar owner. Following the thousand mile greasin and oiling period theuser wishes to reset the recorder and does so by first releasing therecording wheels IT by pressing plunger I5 inwardly, which pressure isimparted to locking bar I4 and leaf spring I6. As leaf sprin I6 isflattened by said pressure, locking bar 14 passes into longitudinalrecess I3 and becomes disengaged from notches I9 and while looking barI4 is in this position wheels I I may be rotated on shaft I2. Wheels I!cannot be spun on shaft l2 because they are at all times held againstfree movement by means of ratchet bar 26 with five engaging the correctreading has been transferred fror'n' the odometer to the recordingdevice. Once; pressure is ofi plunger l5, leaf sprin 16 forces lookingbar I l outwardly from recess I3 and the wedge-shaped leading edge ofsaid bar [4 engages the five aligned notches l9 opposite said bar ineach of the five wheels, thereby locking the same against rotation.

Inasmuch as each notch is in radial alignment with each numeral on theouter periphery of each wheel, there being ten numerals and ten notcheson each wheel, the numeralson the outer periphery must be inlongitudinal alignment and the notches to receive the locking bar IQmust also be in longitudinal alignment so that said bar engages all fivenotches in alignment and the wheels are held against movement. Thecorrect mileage reading may now bevisible through the upper .opening inhousing where it is in constant view of the car operator... The'odometerrecord changes with continued travel of the car, but a comparison of thechanged reading with the recorder may be had .at any time to show thenumber of miles traveled since the recorder was last set.

The device may be constructed of any well known material, but the deviceper se has been constructed of plastic which enables the manufacturer toduplicate the same in quantity at greatly reduced cost.

While I have described and illustrated a satisfactory device that hasproven highly Success 111 in practical operation, it will be understoodthat the invention is not limited to specific constructionaldetailsshown and described, but that many changes, variations andmodifications may be resorted to without departing .from the principlesof my invention.

I claim:

1. A recording device of the class described comprising, in combination,a housing having therein a bracket, a slotted shaft non-rotatablymounted in said bracket, a plurality of wheels rotatably mounted on saidshaft having central openings therein, indicia on the outer periphery ofsaid wheels and a plurality of notches on the periphery of said centralwheel openings, ratchet means seated in said shaft and permanentlyengaging said notches on the periphery of said central wheel openings,and a locking member seated within said slotted shaft, opposed to saidratchet means, adapted to engage said central opening notches and lockthe wheels against rotation.

.. -2. A recording device of the class described comprising, incombination, a housin having therein a bracket, a slotted shaftnon-rotatably mounted in said bracket, a plurality of wheels rotatablymounted on-said shaft having central openings therein, indicia on theouter periphery of said wheels and a plurality of notches on theperiphery of said central wheel openings, locking means seatedwithinsaid slotted shaft, said: means comprising a spring pressed solid baradaptedito engage. said notches in said wheel openings and lock the sameagainst rotation, ratchet means located on the back of said shaftcomprising a' strip having formed thereon five projections, saidprojections being adapted to lightly contact said central notches andprevent free rotation of said wheels when said wheel locking bar hasbeen disengaged from said notches.

3. A recording device of the class described comprising, in combinationva housing having therein a bracket, a slotted shaft non-rotatablymounted in said bracket, a plurality of wheels rotatably mounted on saidshaft having central openings therein, indicia on the outer periphery ofsaid wheels and a plurality of notches radially aligned'with saidindicia on the periphery of said central wheel openings, locking meansseated within the front portion of said slotted shaft comprising aspring pressed wedge-shaped bar adapted to-engage said notches in saidwheel openings and lock said wheels against rotation, and means seatedwithin the rear portion of said slotted shaft comprising a ratchet barhaving projections longitudinally aligned thereon adapted to lightly engage said notches and hold the same in. longitudinal alignment andprevent free movement of same when said locking bar is disengaged.

ERIK E. ERIKssoN.

